September 29, 2009

–Some will say we have this news item exactly backwards, but, uh–Lucky Dragons are opening for Thom Yorke’s newly formed band, a Mad Libsy affair consisting of Yorke, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Radiohead’s longtime producer Nigel Godrich, R.E.M.- and Beck-affiliated drummer Joey Waronker, and the percussionist Mauro Refosco. To reiterate: Lucky Dragons, a two person, man-woman operation whose sets generally take place in the midst of the crowd as various communal electronics are thumbed and petted, whose micropointillist laptop clicks and cuts are pretty much the opposite of arena- or club-anything, who will probably play the Cake Shop (if not the Whitney, or someone’s house) when they next come back to town, will perform at both of Yorke’s October 4th and 5th shows in Los Angeles at the Orpheum. For presumably thousands of befuddled people. Lucky Dragons!

–Speaking of big yet slightly random looks, Weezer’s Halloween opener at Hammerstein? None other than Matt & Kim, who are very much halfway through the wormhole as far as being at the VMAs and on enormous stages and yet still being Matt & Kim, Brooklyn pop klutzes extraordinaire. “Live Nation” (password = hollywood) and “Radio” presale (password = 1019RXP) tickets just went on sale. Oh, and Weezer just pulled a Weezy verse for their new record. You figure it out.

–Although Daniel Johnston has no idea what an iPhone is, there is now a Johnston-themed video game for the device, reports the New York Times. The game was built by two Austin-based designers, who “wrapped the game around his whole story of a man going through life trying to find his true love but constantly having to contend with evil and with Satan, which are probably the demons within himself.” The Times describes the result as a “psycho-religious version of Frogger.” As always, the real reason to read the piece is for the Johnston quotes. “Just another milestone in Daniel Johnston history, I guess,” the musician told the paper.

–Those September 30-October 9 Springsteen dates at Giant’s Stadium? They just got a little more in demand. Springsteen will do one full album per night, as per a schedule the Jersey-born musician just announced: Born to Run on the 30th and the 8th, Darkness on the Edge of Town on the 2nd, and Born in the USA on the 3rd and the 9th. Maybe give your parents a call right now, just to quickly make sure they’re OK.